OMG a Recipe: Who's Joe Mama?

A friend told me this story about how he was sitting in on the first day of a college class and the professor jokingly introduced himself by writing his name on the board as "Joe Mama." And then some girl asked in a dead-serious/dead-stupid tone, "Who's Joe Mah-mah?" And with that note of ridiculousness, I dedicate this special Mother's Day post to My Mama and all the Joe Mamas (or Mah-mah's) out there.

This ain't Joe Mama's stuffed cabbage - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: For Mom

It started and ended with a simmering slow cooker. The week my mom came for a visit, I had put together a smoked ham, andouille sausage and split pea soup. You could stick a flagpole upright in it, the soup was so thick and rich. I knew Mom would be cooking nonstop during her stay, but I wanted there to be something for a quick lunch, and it made our fridge look less empty. The morning my mom left, even though the sun was barely up, she woke up extra early to put together a big pot of Portuguese bean soup in the same slow cooker, so that night, even though she was long gone, we would have a home-cooked meal. Moms are amazing, aren't they?

The slow cooker that started and ended it all - Photo by Wasabi Prime

It's a big deal when Wasabi Mom comes for a visit. She came last year with her sisters for a fun visit, but this time she came solo, and it was really good to see her. It's an even bigger deal when Wasabi Dad comes for a visit -- we always have to crank up the thermostat because even in the heat of our Northwest summer, Hawaii Dad insists, "Too cold!" But Dad opted to hold down the Hilo Homefront. As all parents do, Wasabi Mom swooped in like a superhero when need arose. It's not important why she came, just that she was there when I needed her. She arrived with stacks of saved recipes, both old and new, ready to help out and cook up a storm.

Of course she spoiled the Mister and I completely rotten, making something new every night. She kept the oven busy with baked goods, had all the stove burners crowded with pots and pans of sizzling, simmering ingredients. The kitchen chaos was a reminder of how true the saying is, that food is love. A giant bowl of ice cream is dandy for Homer Simpson's homemade Prozac, but this visit revealed something rather telling about family. My mom insists she's not a good cook, but I argue otherwise -- she's a great cook, and a smart one who knows how to get something on the table with perfetct timing. She organized the week's meals like a finely-tuned machine, a first-class restaurant at home. When someone needs help, people arrive with aid in the best way they know how, and Mom came armed with Food TLC and kitchen ninja skills.

Dueling prep work in Wasabi Kitchen Stadium - Photos by Wasabi Prime

It was also revealing to see how similar our Wasabi-minds work. It was dueling Vulcan Mind Meld going on with Mom and I. She always has oatmeal every morning for breakfast. We only have steel-cut oats, which take a little more time to cook, so I tried par-cooking a few days' worth before she came. Adding boiling water to some steel-cut oats in a jar kinda-sort-of-not-really works. The water-to-oat ratio was clearly off, because I wound up with waterlogged oats. FAIL! But we were able to recover the batches by draining off the excess water and finish the cooking in a pot. Microwaving the sticky oats and adding milk or water to loosen them up for a single serving worked out fine, but I remain quietly disappointed at the failed oats-in-a-jar attempt. Grumble. But I did have time to make two batches of ice cream: coffee chocolate chip, in honor of her favorite Kona coffee flavor from Lappert's, and a strawberry balsamic ice cream, because I knew she liked the fresh strawberry ice cream I made on her last visit. But of course, Wasabi Mom's powers trump my mere Grasshopper Wasabi skills. She came armed with her old-skool recipes and made a delicious apple pie with a crumble crust, gigantic buttermilk blueberry muffins, and just for the heck of it, a lemon pound cake or two. The pound cake was impromptu -- she had a surplus of lemons and decided this was the best solution after seeing the recipe in the Grand Central Bakery cookbook. Kitchen overachiever status, confirmed. Asian Tiger Moms, tremble in the presence of Wasabi Mom!

Lemon pound cake, flowers and Hawaii-style Chex Mix makes it all better - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Food made by other people always tastes better. This isn't scientifically proven, I can't explain it, but I just know it to be true. And it has its own theraputic powers, even if it's all psychological. Wasabi Mom used this trip as a chance to try out new recipes -- all the things she knows my dad won't eat. If it's not meaty and doesn't go with rice, he's not having any of it, The End. So Mom had the chance to try some new things like a pasta dish with asparagus, Irish stew made with beer, grilled spicy pork with stiry fry chicken and bok choi -- everything was fantastic. We're still eating like kings from all the leftovers. And I think Mom kept a few recipes that she'll be able to make for Dad without him saying, "Where's the Beef?" Win-win for everyone. One of the things she made is a Hawaii favorite, a sweet-salty version of the classic Chex Mix, but with an Asian twist, since it's flavored with nori furikake, which is just a salty mix of seaweed, sesame seeds and salty-salt galore. There's several versions of this snack in Hawaii-based cookbooks, this is just the version we like best. This is my cousin Julie's recipe, which she submitted to the Flavors from a Plantation Town cookbook last year. The snack mix recipe makes quite a bit -- this is a halved version of the recipe because the original asks for two boxes of cereal and that's enough to feed New Hampshire and the secret alien colony on the outer rings of Saturn.

Cousin Julie's Totally Addictive Party Mix (adapted/halved from original Furikake Party Mix recipe in Flavors from a Plantation Town cookbook)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon shoyu/soy sauce
1 box of Crispix or Chex cereal
1/2 bottle (about 1/2 cup) nori furikake with sesame seed (can find in Asian grocery store, in seasonings aisle)

Melt butter, corn syrup, vegetable oil, sugar and shoyu over low heat until sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, drizzle syrup over cereal and mix until well coated. Sprinkle furikake over mixture and mix well. Bake at 250 degrees in large roasting pan lined with foil for 1 hour or more, mixing every 15 minutes. Lift foil onto table and cool. Add arare/rice crackers, peanuts or pretzels if desired. Store in airtight containers.

Flowers to brighten the days - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I was spoiled. Downright CSI-late stage-decomposition rotten. Yep, it was that good. Sweet snacks, savory meals, all the favorite things I love, fully accessorized with the necessary stretchy-pants. And it was punctuated with a lot of sweet gestures by friends, as it was also a birthday week. Having fresh flowers do wonders for the soul, and there's nothing more cheer-inducing than waking up to a bouquet of tulips right in your bedroom to greet you for the day. Joy comes in many forms, and I can't thank everyone enough for sending birthday wishes and good thoughts this way. If they could put that magic in a bottle, Keith Richards would surely mainline it and burst into a glitter rainbow. 
 
It was relaxing to be so fully cared for. Almost startlingly so. It was probably a reminder how much of a workaholic I am, and rarely take time to just chill out. It's no wonder I was an emotional heap at the thought of getting back to work, as well as the thought of Mom heading back home -- this was days before she even left. Oy, what a baby I can be, my girly-weepyness makes myself cringe! But I'm not ashamed to say I'm close with my mom. Anyone who has a strong relationship with a family member, or even a good friend, knows this. You feel like your whole world is set upon the foundation of that relationship, and even when they're not there, you always feel supported. When they are with you, it's like you can live in that bubble forever, and when they leave, you wonder how you ever lived apart, and there's a bit of sadness. But even when they go, and you're back to phone calls and letters, that foundation is still there -- strong, stable and always present. Thank you, Mom, for being there when I needed you, especially when I am too stubborn to ask for help. Which is pretty much all the time.

For all the moms and special caregivers out there, have a very special Mother's Day, and know that you are loved beyond words.

A very happy and thankful Year of the Dragon - Thanks, Mom - Photos by Wasabi Prime

OMG A Recipe: Thanks, Mom

It's a little early for Mother's Day, but I have to say that Moms are great. Along with the whole giving birth thing, they also happen to pass along some lifelong wisdom that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life... including a darn fine pie crust recipe.

Mom's Vinegar Pastry Crust - for reaching Dessert Nirvana - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I've talked a good game about Wasabi Mom's Vinegar Pastry Crust, which has pretty much become my staple. I have plenty of recipes and tried different versions, but quite frankly, this is the one I have decided is my forever go-to, and that's that. Strong words, yes, but aside from the fact it's the pie crust I grew up around, it's a pretty solid recipe to use, whether your'e doing fruit or custard-based pies. It bakes up crisp, flaky and quite sturdy. This is a real crust, like Plate Tectonics, the whole Pangea nine yards -- it will not get mushy or fall apart against any pie filling foe. This is likely due to the vinegar, which don't worry, doesn't flavor the crust, its purpose is to keep the dough moist while it's getting mixed and disappears upon baking. Since vinegar is basically wine gone sour, the alcohol burns off in the baking process and helps ensure a flaky and crisp crust. There's also egg in the recipe, which I know sounds a little odd -- most recipes don't use an egg, but this one does and I don't question the Wisdom of Mom, so I just leave it be, believing it to add to the crust's signature sturdiness. Most of the pies I've been making lately are overloaded with fruit and I'm never completely certain how much liquid the fruit filling will give off, but this crust remains a good old soldier and stands up nicely to whatever kind of pie you make.

I made an apple and pear pie recently, a nice treat after a cold weather dinner of the equally carbohydrate-laden roasted squash and fennel-topped risotto. I blame the chill of a rainy evening on the need to just go balls-out for the carbs, making a creamy batch of risotto while some fennel and kabocha pumpkin roasted away in the oven. Can you not hear the lyrics of Milli Vanilli's Blame it on the Rain right now? Maybe that's just in my head... I know doctors recommend medication for this sort of problem. Bah -- silly details!! The risotto was another CSA-inspired meal -- I like how fennel loses its strong licorice flavor and gains more sweetness after a good roast, and kabocha has such a pleasant natural sweetness to it already. After the oven had its way with them, I thought they would be a hearty topping to risotto and be a comfortable thing to tuck into one cold night. Especially when you have 1990's lip-synch pop stars singing in your head.


Roasted Kabocha and Fennel over Risotto on a Cold Winter's Night - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Dinner was dropping bombs of nomz as the rain pelted the windows and turned the Seasonal Affective Disorder knob to Eleven on the Misery Scale, but of course the highlight is always dessert. And maybe that's why I made the pie. Aside from the fact that our CSA box included a small commune of apples and pears, there's nothing that lifts the spirits quite like something delicious being baked in the oven. And Mom Knows Best -- when she bakes, the house smells amazing and all the problems and stresses of the world just seem a little smaller, knowing there's going to be fresh-baked pie coming out of the oven. Having made the dough a few hours earlier in the food processor and letting it rest in the fridge, it was soft and rollable, easy to split into two rounds, with one half used for the bottom crust and I rolled and sliced the remainder of the dough into strips to make a lattice top. I can never weave it perfectly, there's always some wonky weave action happening, but covering a big pile of peeled and sugared pear and apple slices covered in cinnamon and nutmeg, no one's going to care if you should have over-ed instead of under-ed.

Pie and Risotto, and much like Milli Vanilli, I Blame it on the Rain - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So, without further adieu, here's my mom's pie crust recipe. I'm sure she doesn't mind me sharing it with everyone, just send out a Wasabi Mom Shout-Out when you're baking pies on rainy days. Pie Thug Life 4-EVER.

Wasabi Mom's Vinegar Pastry Crust (makes two pie crusts)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups cold shortening or butter, cut into cubes
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp vinegar
Up to 5 tbsp cold ice water

In a mixing bowl or food processor, add all dry ingredients, sifted together. Cut shortening or butter in, until the mixture resembles small peas. Add the egg, vinegar and slowly add the ice water until the the pastry just holds together. You may end up using less water than the 5 tablespoons, it just depends on the weather and humidity of the air. Gather the dough together and form into a large disc, wrapping tightly with clear plastic. Place wrapped dough into the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling into the shape of a pie crust.

When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown. To give it a more rich color, lightly brush with milk or cream before baking. Add a sprinkle of sugar to caramelize and add texture.

UnRecipe: Thank God It's Tofuday

Sometimes you can't beat a really simple meal after a rough week, especially on the tail-end of a record heat wave. After all, why ruin the stove's week-long break of not being turned on? Let it sleep in for just another day or two. Instead of a complicated Friday dinner, it was more effort to put together the setup for these photos than it was to prepare the grand meal of cold tofu with chili sauce, lime juice, and shoyu (you know, soy sauce).

Oh boy, it's soy! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

As a wee one, my mother would regularly prepare meals with tofu -- heck, she still does, and it's remains a rare treat to watch her cook. She would drain and press the watery slab of soy to remove the excess water, and then cut it down into pristine little white cubes. I would sneak a few pieces before they were introduced into the dish and I always loved the cold, plain, slightly milky flavor of plain tofu. I didn't think much of it then, but when I cook with tofu now, I can't resist doing the same thing and it still resonates that memory of the senses that evoke a less complicated time. Or at least, that's what I like to remember it as. I'm sure at the time, I was probably overwrought with a math test or something.

Now, many years later, the comforting snack has become a full but simple meal. Mixing a bit of fresh lime juice and a squeeze of hot chili sauce into the shoyu, a savory dipping liquid becomes the perfect contrasting flavor. I can't control the weather, or how busy my week will be, but it's a comfort in and of itself to know I can return to something that tastes like home.

Aw, Mom.. it's so cute... can we keep it? - Photos by Wasabi Prime

* Post Script -A joy-for-soy THANK YOU to Tastespotting for posting the Kokeshi doll with tofu photo on their site!! Domo arigato!

** Post-Post Script -Another hearty THANK YOU to the folks at Foodbuzz for putting the same photo on their Top 9 today! Domo arigato, the sequel!

***Post-Post-Post Script - Three times a charm THANKS to Food Photo Blog for putting the spicy tofu pic on their site!

**** Post to the Fourth Power-Script - THANK YOU to Serious Eats' Photograzing for also putting the spicy tofu on their site!

***** Penta-Post-Script - Thanks to Foodie View for posting several pics of the spicy tofu post!